Greece is turning up the heat 🔥
This Sunday, the Mediterranean nation raised its wildfire alert to \"high risk\" as dozens of blazes erupted across the country, according to the civil protection ministry.
What's happening? On Saturday alone, a staggering 71 fires broke out in agricultural and forest regions within just 12 hours! 😮 From 3:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. GMT, firefighters were battling flames on multiple fronts.
While most fires were brought under control, including a major blaze in Lasithi on the beautiful island of Crete that raged until midday Sunday, the situation remains tense. Three people suffered minor injuries, and one person was arrested on suspicion of causing the fire on Saturday morning.
🚨High winds ahead! Strong winds up to 60 km/h are expected to sweep parts of Greece until Tuesday, making conditions even more dangerous for new fires to spark. Areas like Athens, central regions, the Cyclades islands, and Crete are on high alert. All civil protection services are now at level four – that's high risk! 😰
Why now? Greece just experienced a record-breaking warm winter with an average temperature of 11.8°C, according to the Athens Observatory. Scientists are worried that these unseasonably high temperatures—like the 31°C recorded on Tuesday in Chania, Crete—are leaving the land warm and dry, perfect conditions for wildfires.
🔥Looking back: Last summer was tough for Greece. A prolonged heatwave led to the loss of 20 lives and scorched nearly 175,000 hectares of land. With climate change being a global concern, this year's early fires could be a sign of challenging times ahead.
Stay safe, Greece! 🇬🇷❤️ Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the fires. Let's hope for cooler days and safer conditions ahead.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
